“He kind of leaned forward towards me. I grabbed onto him, got him out the window. Couple of hard yanks later, me and him were laying on the ground,” Lutz said.

Thirty seconds later, the truck burst into flames. Lutz said he got the chills looking at the charred truck later.

“It was close. I was like my babies will love me if I was burned. I couldn’t live with myself if I watched a man die in a fiery truck,” Lutz said. “I’d do anything for my family. So to know I helped him be there for his, it’s unreal.”

These once strangers believe they both got out of work early that day because they were meant to cross paths.

“Bryan Lutz. That’s my guardian angel,” Lugo said.

Lutz was recognized by Ventura County supervisors in a ceremony last week for his heroic action.